My Path to Writing
By Bill Baldwin
Donna (D.M.) Rowell knows about storytelling—she should! Growing up as a member of the Kiowa tribe in Oklahoma, she’s listened to stories her entire life! In Kiowa culture, storytelling connects you to the community, its past, and its values. We were honored to welcome Rowell to our club for our November (Native American Heritage Month) meeting!
As a child she heard the stories of her family: grandfather, great-aunts, and others. Her grandfather painted stories incorporating details of daily life: significant details, each with a purpose.
To become a good writer, you first must be a reader. At a young age, Rowell became an ardent fan of Trixie Belden mysteries; she grew up wanting to write mysteries herself. That took a while (several decades at a tech-related job in Silicon Valley, then extension classes at UC San Diego), but she achieved her goal in 2022 with Never Name the Dead (nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award). Along the way she learned some valuable writing lessons.
You have to let your characters come alive; then the story will write itself. Rowell offered a specific approach to producing a murder mystery.
- First, visualize the murder.
- Next, identify the characters involved.
- Then realize how the story should end.
Know where to begin your story. As you proceed, find your rhythm: the length of paragraphs and chapters, the story structure and length.
- Sketch the first draft—let the story flow. Don’t fret too much; you’re writing this draft for yourself. Don’t bother with an outline—drive your story to its conclusion.
- In the second draft, expand the characters and setting: add color and atmosphere to the work.
- In the third draft, add depth and shading.
Rowell recommends Stephen King’s book On Writing. She also recommends joining writers’ organizations (like ours!). As you struggle with words, criticisms, and doubts, consider the possibility that Your Way is the Write Way! If you’re not sure how to proceed with your writing, you may want to Just Sit Down and Do It!
Advice to consider—and try! If you want to be a writer, you have to try!
Welcome, Donna, to our writers’ band! And thanks!